It is an European project within the Central Europe Programme that foresees cooperation between five Central European cities: Leipzig (DE), Genoa (IT), Gdansk (PL), Ljubljana (SI) and Pecs (HU). The project specifically addresses creative industries that are defined as “those industries which have their origin in individual creativity, skill and talent and which have a potential for wealth and job creation through the generation and exploitation of intellectual property.” (UK Department of Culture, Media and Sport 2001).  

Within global competition cities need to win investors and create more and better jobs. The exploitation of creative industries, which have high, but often unrecognised potentials, contributes to the fulfillment of the Lisbon objectives on local levels. The challenges for creative industry actors are high (low capital endowment, poor networking, low external visibility), though they do not have enough capacities to develop their potentials as they lack needed resources and know-how. Most European cities are not aware of the benefits creative industries do offer and have not yet developed suitable policies or instruments. That goes hand in hand with a lack of transnational comparable data on the impact of creative industries for economic growth. At the same time a lobby for creative industry needs to be strengthened. CREATIVE CITIES fosters the exploitation of unused potentials (e.g. improvement of income situation to stabilise and increase employment, international marketing). Improving the creative industry sector's environment enhances competitiveness and employment opportunities as significant contributions of the project towards the achievement of the Lisbon agenda.





Creative Cities is an international project designed and managed by the British Council.  It shares experience across Europe on the ways creativity, entrepreneurship and innovation can help to improve people’s lives - making cities better places to live, work and play.
Sixty five European cities have so far taken part in one or more of the hundred forty events organised by the Creative Cities project.  These events have attracted more than fourteen thousand participants, with a further fourteen million reached online and via other media.
The British Council is managing the project in partnership with a range of cities and organisations active in developing innovative approaches to city policy.  Individuals taking part in project events will develop new skills and build new contacts across Europe. Cities which join the project network will have an opportunity to establish competitive advantage for themselves and attract creative talent, and in so doing set the foundations for future economic growth.  The Creative Cities project will be run until the beginning of 2011 in the UK, Poland, Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovakia, Slovenia, Ukraine, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Russia.  The three core project strands are: Future City Game, Urban Ideas Bakery and Urban Forum.